Netflix slammed for ‘giving airtime’ to influencer who faked cancer-Pierra Willix-Entertainment – Metro

Netflix has been slammed ahead of the release of a series about a scammer (Picture: Ben King/ Netflix)

Netflix has come under fire after releasing the trailer for a new drama series based on the story of scammer Belle Gibson.

In 2015 it was uncovered that the Australian wellness influencer, who had built an online community and profited off the back of selling a story about being diagnosed with cancer, was a fraud.

The author of The Whole Pantry mobile app and cookbook claimed to have had malignant brain cancer that she managed through diet, exercise, natural medicine, and alternative medicine therapies.

After an investigation regarding the legitimacy of Gibson’s claims that she was donating a sizeable amount of her income to charities, it was discovered she’d lied about her age, personal life and actually having cancer at all.

She eventually confessed, admitting that ‘none of it’s true’.

Her story has now inspired Apple Cider Vinegar, which stars Kaitlyn Dever (Dopesick, Unbelievable).

Kaitlyn Dever plays Belle Gibson in Apple Cider Vinegar (Picture: Netflix)

The upcoming series follows two women who set to cure their life-threatening illnesses through health and wellness, influencing their global online communities along the way – if only it were true.

The six-episodes will ‘serve as a cultural interrogation of the times, exploring the birth of Instagram; the allure and rise of wellness culture; peak girl boss start-up culture; and the age of innocence on social media with very few checks and balances in place’.

As the streaming service has explained the series is ‘a true-ish story based on a lie’, coming off the back of the book The Woman Who Fooled the World by journalists Beau Donelly and Nick Toscano.

The wellness influencer lied about having cancer (Picture: Netflix)

However, after the trailer was released this week, many have made it clear they aren’t happy with the story being brought to life on screen.

‘The idea of this gives me the ick to be honest. It almost glamourises her,’ Jenna posted on Facebook.

‘I don’t want to watch because it gives her more attention,’ Sarah shared.

‘Ew, why would they give her anymore airtime,’ Meaghan added.

Gibson was fine $410,000 (Picture: AAP Image/ David Crosling)

Meanwhile Maddison asked why ‘we keep glamourising these scammers’, with many others referencing the series about Anna Sorokin, Inventing Anna.

Apple Cider Vinegar also stars Alycia Debnam-Carey (The Lost Flowers of Alice Hart), Aisha Dee (The Bold Type) and Tilda Cobham-Hervey (I Am Woman).

Gibson was convicted in 2017 of engaging in misleading or deceptive conduct and fined $410,000 (£211,000) for breaching consumer laws.

Her actions were described as ‘particularly predatory’ as well as being ‘deceit on a grand scale’.  

Apple Cider Vinegar will be streaming on Netflix.

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